Category: Emerging Businesses

Buying another construction firm can be an attractive way to grow your company’s revenue base. A merger or an acquisition can allow you to: Add a new subcontracting specialty, Acquire an experienced labor force to reach new markets, and Deepen your penetration into the market your firm already serves. But there’s more to mergers and acquisitions than agreeing on a purchase price and signing the paperwork. For example, which employees should be made privy to the transaction? And how do… Read more ›

Have you always wanted to buy rental property and become a landlord? As you can imagine, putting up with some tenants can be a pain in the neck. But the discomfort can be eased by the valuable tax breaks available to rental property owners. In fact, favorable tax laws are one big reason why so many fortunes have been made in real estate. Another big reason is that leveraging real estate investments with mortgages can multiply profits. But for purposes… Read more ›

Once you get some legal experience under your belt, you may think about opening your own firm. Setting up and running a law practice can be a daunting prospect, but taking certain steps will help to ensure that your firm grows and remains profitable. Here are some guidelines to help accomplish the task successfully: Develop a strategy You really can’t proceed before you target a specific client base or market and decide how you plan to compete. This means knowing… Read more ›

  As a business owner, your auto dealership’s team must be comprised of people you trust to make the right decisions for the company. The reports derived from your accounting team are at the forefront of most major business decisions, so having a suitable controller in place will help ensure your dealership’s financial health and future. The characteristics of a good controller fall into two distinct buckets: technical skills and leadership qualities. On the one hand, at their core, a… Read more ›

When was the last time you reviewed the insurance coverage on your business property? If you have an insurance agent who works closely with your company, you may be accustomed to periodic reviews to keep your insurance up to date. However, if you bought insurance based primarily on price, these reviews might be left up to you. Some business owners learn the hard way that they didn’t buy enough coverage after suffering losses from floods, fires, thefts, vandalism, lightning, hurricanes,… Read more ›

  If your business is essentially a one-person operation, there’s an option to help you save more money for retirement: The Solo 401(k) plan. Ordinarily, traditional defined contribution retirement plans allow annual contributions that are limited to either 25% of salary if you’re employed by your own S or C corporation or 20% of self-employment income if you operate as a sole proprietor or single-member LLC. Also, traditional profit-sharing plans, Keogh or SEP plans are subject to a $61,000 cap… Read more ›

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions for 2021? Resolutions usually take the form of personal goals like eating healthier or getting rid of clutter around the house. But you can also make New Year’s resolutions for your small business. 1. Be Realistic About Your Goals The start of a new year is often cause for optimism. This is especially true this year for many people who want to put 2020 behind them from both a business and emotional standpoint…. Read more ›

Quickbooks from Intuit has been a trusted tool for business owners and accountants alike for many years. With cloud computing ‘s prevalence increasing in today’s business world, Quickbooks Online (QBO) is more popular than ever and Intuit continues to improve the software’s powerful tools. This article looks at some recommended best practices for using QBO so that it continues to help you run your business while minimizing the stress over the financial aspect of it. 1. Accounts and Settings. First,… Read more ›

The Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) made substantial tax subsidies available to eligible employers, so they can provide paid sick leave and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave for certain employees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible employers are those with fewer than 500 employees. An employer that has fewer than 50 employees may be able to make the case to the Department of Labor (DOL) that complying with rules would jeopardize the viability of his or her… Read more ›

Business valuation is a prophecy of the future. That is, investors typically value a business based on its ability to generate future cash flow. However, with so many uncertainties in the current marketplace, forecasting expected cash flow can be challenging. Income Approach Under the income approach, the value of a business interest is a function of two variables: 1.  Expected economic benefits. 2.  A discount rate based on the risk of the business. Economic benefits can take many forms, such as earnings… Read more ›